New Kitchen

[Bon]

Well, it's been a while since I uttered the words "never again" after finishing our bathroom, bedroom and stairs/landing last year and we're getting a little fed up with our kitchen as it's now the only room in the house we haven't done.

So here goes,

Here are some pics of the kitchen as it was when we moved in

This I kid you not is a "repair" that the previous owner seemed happy with after the bath had presumably overflowed

No, your eyes are not decieving you, the cupboard doors don't match!

Because they had a 12 month interest free offer on and also because I've heard some good comments about them on here, we have ordered Homebase units which I will fit and worktops (which we will get mitred by a pro). I would have preferred a Howdens or Gower kitchen, but can't justify the price as we are likely to be moving in the next 2-3 years.

There'll be a new boiler going in too. I'm going to build a stud across the existing chimney breast (which you may be able to see in the pics) onto which the boiler is going to be mounted (spun 90 degrees from its current position) so the kitchen will be a more traditional "U" shape.

Our spark will be adding a couple of sockets and power supplies for the cooker hood and under-cupboard lighting and me and the father-in-law will be doing the floor and wall tiling.

We've already got the appliances (Gas hob, double oven and cooker hood) which we scoured the internet for and saved over £400 on . They will look far better in the new kitchen than in the dining room where they currently reside!

I'd be happy to hear any comments/suggestions/advice/concerns people may have to offer on what's wriiten above, otherwise I'll try to keep the pics coming as each stage is finished!

 

[icowden]

That's not dissimmilar to my old kitchen. I believe they are supplied by "backuvalorry".

Main difference is that many of the units in my old kitchen had been saturated in fat and oil. Oh the fun ripping the units out...

 

[Bon]

That's not dissimmilar to my old kitchen. I believe they are supplied by "backuvalorry".

Which one? There are two to choose from

We have since tarted the units up from when those pics were taken (painted the doors white, fitted some new handles and laid some vinyl tiles for around £200) so it looked a little better, but now the tiles are lifting and the rest of the house is done so time to get stuck in (again!).

Just contemplating shifting the boiler into the airing cupboard at the moment which is directly above the current location. The dims of the new Vokera one I'm getting would mean I have to chop most of the cupboard out and would end up looking rubbish.

Shoving it in the airing cupboard frees up cupboard space and also means the changeover can be done in a day as opposed to several (removing the existing boiler, building the new stud, plastering it, waiting for the plaster to dry, then hanging the new boiler).

 

[Bon]

Well the new kitchen turned up today, exactly on time and after several checks they seem to have delivered everything they were supposed to and nothing they weren't !

Tomorrow's task is to get all the chases and conduit in for the new socket, cooker hood and under-cupboard lighting FCUs in and make a start on repairing the ceiling so the plasterer can get in.

I'll get some pics up for those of you who are interested too.

 

[Bon]

Well it's taken slightly longer than we had hoped (mainly due to various blokes at my work promising that they'd come and do the boiler, only to let me down

So, we've now had the whole kitchen plastered and it's looking

First though, some pics prior to plastering,

Ceiling repaired properly!

Finally the completed stud wall. Getting this done was the hardest part and as the old boiler took around 6 hours to dismantle and remove. It then took 2 of us to lift it!!

Now for the good stuff

Hole? What hole?

Just waiting for it all to dry now before putting the mist coat on. Spending the time fitting trvs to the radiators.[/img]

 

[neds]

Very good job there so far!

 

[Bon]

Thanks neds, however I haven't really done much yet so credit to our plasterer!!

My only gripe is that where the existing flourescent tube was left dangling, part of it was touching the ceiling and the plasterer plastered around it!

There's not much else he could have done (as obviously he isn't a spark) but if he'd have mentioned it after his first day, I'd have taken it down. It did look as if it had been done properly at the time!

Anyhow, he's coming back this week as a couple of beads have cracked slightly so he can touch it in then. Hopefully I'll have done all the trvs by when that's done and dry (I'm having to do them whilst being scrutinised by the wife as the guy who fitted the new cylinder spilled nasty water down the new stairs carpet and she's not taking any chances with the bedroom carpets!!) so we can start painting.

 

[lilac]

Love the post - am just wondering whether to rip out kitchen - maybe if it stopped raining as I don't have a dining room to put things in....
I got as far as the plastering bit but wonder if you have completed the units yet - would love to see the end result - to pluck up courage to do mine.

 

[Bon]

Haven't got any more pics yet, but all the wall units are up and half the base units are in.

Spent yesterday sorting out the plumbing and putting a new outside tap in. Was going to spend today finishing the units off, but just noticed one of the tees I soldered yesterday is weeping slightly so will have to sort that out first .

If I can get that sorted and the base units done today, it'll be worktops and tiling time next week .

I've been given a deadline of mid-September to get done!!

 

[lilac]

it takes a while then - how long did it take for the plaster to dry ? AM not sure mine could live that long without an oven !

 

[Bon]

We left the plaster for a fortnight to dry as I didn't want any moisture to seep into the kitchen units and make them swell.

It needed it too as our kitchen only gets sun first thing in the morning and the weather hasn't been all that great over the last month or so! We had the radiator off the wall too so there was no other menas of gettting heat in there

Just finished the base units now after fixing the leak so going to enjoy a bit of footy this afternoon (watching of course, I'm exhausted!). Will be focusing on our spare room this week while we wait for a friend of mine to come back from holiday so he can fit the worktops! Get the tiling done after that and then we can finish!

As for having no oven, you soon get used to eating microwave meals and pot noodles! It's like being at uni again!!!

 

[lilac]

I find your post very helpful
I have same fluorescent light
And was wondering if the plasterers will need to turn off all the electric or just the downstairs sockets/lights or none ?

 

[Bon]

Most plasterers won't touch electrics, so I ended up taking the flourescent fitting down (we were replacing it anyway) so when he came back to fix the cracked beads he could patch up the ceiling.

It meant we had to use plug-in lamps for a few days, but it wasn't a problem.

 

[lilac]

you misunderstand me - do they turn off the electric when plastering to avoid contact between the wiring (which is covered with a plastic strip) ? Seems a silly question I know
You have the same lino as me too and the same windows and worktops...can't wait to see them go.

 

[lilac]

am not sure I am allowed to remove electrical fittings under the new regs ?